Submarine life-saving device



A COTE.

SUBMARINE LIFE SAVING DEVICE. APPLICATION HLED FEB.'2I, 1921.

1,409,361 v Patentd Mar. 14,1922

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Adciezi/ I col-e;

INVENTOR AITORNEY A COTE. 'SUBMARINE LIFE SAVING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1921.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

2 $HEETSSHEET 2- J5 ATTORNEY UNITED v AnnIEn corn, or RANKIN,ivmssaonnsnrrsn SUBMARINE LIFE-SAVING DEVICE To (all who-m itmayconcern.

Be it known that I, Annnm Co'rr'i, a citizen of the United States.residing at Franklin, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in SubmarineLite-Saving Devices, of which the following is aspecifica' tion. I

This invention relates to life saving devices for the crews ofsubmarines and has for its object the provision of means whereby thecrew of a submarine may save themselves in case the submarine sinks.

An important object is the provision of means of this character by whichescape of the crew will be possible regardless of whether the submarine,after sinking, "lies upon either side,- is tilted either forwardly orrearwardly, or whether itis partially embedded in sand or ooze;specialmeans of egress being provided. I

A-further and more specific object is the provision in a submarine ofchambers formed within opposite, sides and normally in noncommunicatingrelation to the remainder of the hull but provided with doors wherebythe crew may pass into the chambers and provided with other doorsleading to the outside,valves being provided for admitting sea water tothe chambers.

Another object isxthe provision in alife saving apparatus of thischaracter of colant material so as to rise to the surface when theoutside doors are opened, the rafts being designed to support the crewafter they have reached the surface.

WVith the above and other objects and ad vantages in view, the inventionconsists in the details-oi construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich Figure-l'is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of a submarineconstructed in accordance with my invention, parts being in section, 7 Q

Figure 2 isa-central cross sectional view therethrough, and

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken at the end of one of thecompartments or chambers.-

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 15 designatesgenerally a submarine hull having a deck 16 provided Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14. 1922.

Application filed'iiebluary 21, 1921. Serial No. 446,669;

with the usual entrance and exit opening 17 normally closed by asuitable door 18. In carrying out my invention I provide within oppositesides of the hull elongated compartments or chambers 19 formed bylongitudinal partitions 20, transverse ends 21, bottoms 22, and upwardlyand outwardly inclined ceilings These compartments are provided withdoors 24 opening outwardly through the hull and are also provided withdoors .25 which open outwardly 't'romgthe interior of the-main portionof thehull. Anysuitableor preferred means is of course employed forholding these doors shut and watertight. Such means is not illustratedas it is believed to be a non-essential. detail. Each compartment isprovided withaseries of. sea c ocks 26 of conventional construction orwhich might be constructed for simultaneous operation sothat I thecompartments ma; be flooded rapidly "when desired.

uitably mounted within 1 the compartment are racks 27, for life savingbeltsjand other racks 28 have helmets equipped with air ,orioxygen tanksto support breathing.

Located within each end of each compartment or chamber'is a collapsible.raft designated broadly by the Knumeral-,29. -Each of these rafts isformed of a pair of torpedo shaped buoyant. bodies .30 which might, be

cork or which might be tanks; These bodies are encircledseparately bysuitable collars or rings 31. to which are connected jointed brace rods32 having 'a species of rule joint therein so'that the buoyant bodiesmay be brought close together to occupybut little space or held apart inexpanded position.

The numeral 33 designates a sheet of canvas I or the like which issecured to bars 34 carried by the bodies 30, this canvas being stretchedtaut when the bodies are moved apart and held by the braces 32, thecanvas then serving as the floor of theraft. These rafts are preferablytethered to the ceilingportions of the compartment so as to prevent themfrom sliding about.

In the event of sinking of the submarine,it

closed and locked. The crew then don the" vided for perm tting the exitof air The with sea water, any suitable vents being procrew then releasethe rafts. 29 and open the outer doors 24. Owing to the fact that theceilings 23 are inclined outwardly and upwardly there should be no greatdifficulty experienced in getting the rafts out through the doorways 25.The rafts being buoyant and the life saving belts buoyant it is quiteapparent that the crew and the rafts will rise to the surface. Pendingrescue the men may of course climb onto the raft, the canvas sheets 33thereof forming efficient floors for supporting them.

In case the submarine should sink under such conditions that it wouldhave a distinct list to either side, the crew would naturally use theuppermost compartment 19 for effecting their escape, though in the eventthat the crew would be too numerous to be supplied with life belts andhelmets from the upper compartment alone, they might enter would beinclined sharply upwardly, the escape would be made of course from theuppermost ends of either or both compartments, depending uponconditions.

In case the sinking should occur in sand or mud so that the doors 24:could notbe opened, it would be necessary for the crew to don the lifesaving devices and bring the rafts into the interior of the hull belowthe ordinary opening 17, after which the doors 25 would be left open andthe sea cocks 26 opened so as to flood the entire interior of thevessel, after which the door 18 would be opened to permit the men andrafts to escape.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will beapparent that I have thus provided a simple and easily operated lifesaving device for submarine which will permit the escape ofa crewpractically regardless of any emergency which might arise as the devicetakes care of practically all contingencies and offers alternate meansof escape.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right tomake such changes in the form, construction, and arrangement of parts aswill not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of thesubjoined claims. I

Having thus described my invention, I t

claim:

1. In a submarine, separate compartments formed at opposite sides of thehull, doors establishing communication between the comv partments andthe remainder ofthe interior of the hull, other doors leading outwardlyfrom the compartments into the surrounding water, and means forflooding-the compartments, the ceilings of the compartments beinginclined upwardly and outwardly 2. In a submarine, separate compartmentsformed at opposite sides of the hull, doors establishing communicationbetween the com partments and the remainder of the interior of the hull,other doors leadingoutwardly from the compartments into the suroundingwater, and means for flooding the compartment, the ceilings of thecompartments being inclined upwardly and outwardly, and buoy- 1;

ant rafts located within the compartments and adapted to be removedtherefrom through said second named doors, the buoyancy of the rafts andthe inclination of the ceilings causing the rafts to move automaticallytoward said second named doors.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ADRIEN co'rrig

